Fighting for the Seconds
by myfivemeters
Summary: Italy had no idea how all this had happened. Honestly. At one moment, he was making pasta in his kitchen, listening to some random radio station which was playing a song he didn't know the words to. The next, his world came crashing down around him.


Italy had no idea how all this had happened. Honestly. At one moment, he was making pasta in his kitchen, listening to some random radio station which was playing a song he didn't know the words to. The next, his world came crashing down around him.

All of the sudden, the song stopped playing and a scratchy voice came on. Italy's eyes peeled open in surprise as he listened.

"There has been an outbreak of infection around the world. Scientists are calling it 'Strand Z'. A new virus, dubbed 'Virus Z', has spread. The virus enters your body through the blood stream and latches on to your brain stem. After reproducing, it kills you and re-starts only your basic motor functions-moving, breathing, and eating. Then the virus takes complete control and spreads by biting other humans. These infected humans are called Anomalies, and they have developed inhuman strength. We advise you to stay in your homes and do _not_-" Italy never heard what he wasn't supposed to do, because the radio went to static, but not before a man's scream was heard.

And then his phone rang.

"Hello?" His voice had lost his usual lightness. Italy was scared.

"_Fratello? Is that you? Thank god. Did you hear what happened?" _His brothers voice too had lost its usual tone.

"I heard. You need to come back! It's not safe!"

"_I know. Listen, if anything happens, I want you to know that I-"_ But Feliciano never got to hear what his brother wanted to tell him, because Romano's scream replaced his words, along with the sound of flesh being torn. Soon, Lovino's scream was replaced with his own as the line went dead. Italy sunk to the floor as sobs shook his body. He wanted to curl up and die, just like the radio man, just like his-

"No." He would not let himself think of that. Some part of Italy-maybe the part that owned the Italian mafia, or the part that actually paid attention during Germany's training all those years ago-knew that he needed to get out of there. He sat for a few moments longer, regaining his composure, before he stood up. Italy grabbed a backpack and stuffed food in-food that wouldn't spoil, and water. Next he grabbed kitchen knives, and a couple of guns with several rounds of ammunition. A part of him-the part that drew bunnies with Holy Roman Empire and made Germany take siestas with him at 3 o'clock everyday-wondered how he knew all of these things, and why he wasn't crying, because his brother just died. Before he knew it, though, Italy was out the door with a map in his hand, with the city Berlin circled with a red sharpie.

Italy knew that even though he did own a mafia and had fought in several wars, he needed Germany. He had always needed Germany, whether it was to tie his shoe laces or to help him carry all the white flags he had mass produced back to his home. But this was more urgent. His feet picked up to a run and his ears blocked out the screams of all of his people. Italy's gut wrenched, but he knew he couldn't help them. He never really was strong enough to save himself, so how would he save the millions of people he called his own?

For some apparent reason, Italy could still get service. His phone was ringing.

"Hello?" He gasped. Feliciano hadn't run this much since World War 2-and that was almost 70 years ago.

"_Italien?"_

"Germany? Are you okay? Where are you?"

"_I'm at my home. I'm in my bunker."_

"You have a bunker?"

"_You know that World War Three was supposed to be imminent, right?"_

"Right. I'm coming to you."

"_No, Italy. You need to stay safe in your house with Roma-"_

"He's dead. My house isn't safe anyways; there's too many windows."

"_Lovino's dead?"_

"Keep up, Ludwig." Suddenly his tone was cold, a complete opposite from the way it was before, but before didn't really matter anymore. "Sorry."

"_Don't be sorry. Look, Feli, be careful. Please."_

"Is Prussia there?"

"_No. He went to visit Canada." _Italy sighed for a moment before he spoke again, his voice sounding small and afraid.

"Lud, I need you. I'm so scared." For some reason, Germany laughed. "Why are you laughing?"

"_I thought that my pasta-loving Italien had disappeared, and this new cold one had taken his place. I need you too, Feli. I'm getting a pack ready and I'm meeting you in the middle."_

"Germany, you can't-" But the line was cut off and he never got to tell Ludwig that he couldn't go out because what if he died and Italy would never get the chance to really tell him how he felt. Moments later, Feliciano realized that he was standing still. He also realized that he was now somehow on the outskirts of Rome, and he hadn't seen a single Anomaly.

That soon changed, however, when he heard a snarl behind him.

He whipped around quickly, pulling a knife out and decapitating the thing. He fell to his knees, however, when he realized that the Anomaly was wearing an all too familiar shirt and had a drooping curl on the side of its head. Italy sobbed and asked God to forgive him-he was Catholic after all, having the Pope in his country-but soon stood up, dried his tears, and moved towards Berlin.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Germany was in his work out room when his world fell to pieces around his feet.

Although, he was used to that. Ludwig had been broken many times before that-when he lost both World Wars (which he honestly hadn't wanted to fight in, but his bosses had made him), when he felt millions of his Jewish inhabitants being gassed and burnt alive (which he hadn't wanted to do either). Or even when he and Italy lost the close friendship they once had during World War 2 because their countries really didn't have a good relations anymore. But even so, this broke what he had known and threw it on the floor around him.

Germany was lifting weights and watching the news. This had become his routine, because talk of World War 3 was being spread and he had to know right away if it was true. The commercials were interrupted and a petite brunette spoke with urgency.

"There has been an outbreak of infection around the world. Scientists are calling it 'Strand Z'. A new virus, dubbed 'Virus Z', has spread. The virus enters your body through the blood stream and latches on to your brain stem. After reproducing, it kills you and re-starts only your basic motor functions-moving, breathing, and eating. Then the virus takes complete control and spreads by biting other humans. These infected humans are called Anomalies, and they have developed inhuman strength. We advise you to stay in your homes and do _not_-" But Germany never heard what he wasn't supposed to do, because before she could finish her sentence, an 'Anomaly' leaped in and ripped her throat out as the screen went to static. Germany's eyes widened and he dropped the weights. He tore through the house, grabbing his cell phone before he retreated to the bunker he had made especially for nuclear war.

As he closed the door, he only had two people on his mind; Prussia and Italy.

After securing the exit, he dialed his brother's number.

"_Hallo?"_ Ludwig sighed in relief as he heard his brother's usually annoying voice.

"Are you safe? Where are you?"

"_I'm with Matthew. I heard what happened. Mattie and I are in his basement. We've got food and stuff. Bruder, where are you?"_

"I'm in the bunker."

"_Good. Listen, there's something that I need to tell you before the world goes to shit that I should have told you before. You know how-"_ But Ludwig never heard what Prussia was going to tell him, because he heard Gilbert's phone being dropped to the ground and crushed. His heart wrenched, but he knew that he needed to get a hold of Italy before it was too late. Once again, he dialed a number and waited.

"_Hello?" _Feli's voice came out in a gasp. He must have been running, which was strange because Italy didn't run.

"Italien?"

"_Germany? Are you okay? Where are you?"_

"I'm at my home. I'm in my bunker."

"_You have a bunker?_

"You know that World War Three was supposed to be imminent, right?"

"_Right. I'm coming to you." _Germany's stomach clenched.

"No, Italy. You need to stay safe in your house with Roma-"

"_He's dead. My house isn't safe anyways; there's too many windows." _He barely heard the last part. His heart ripped in two as he imagined Italy trying to get to Berlin after his brother died.

"Lovino's dead?"

"_Keep up, Ludwig." _Germany was surprised at how cold his voice sounded. He understood, though, but he hoped that Feli hadn't already broken, because he knew what that was like, too. "_Sorry."_

"Don't be sorry. Look, Feli, be careful. Please."

"_Is Prussia there?"_

"No. He went to visit Canada." He heard Italy sigh before his voice came back, small and feeble.

"_Lud, I need you. I'm so scared." _Tears filled Germany's eyes and he let out a joyful laugh. "_Why are you laughing?"_

"I thought that my pasta-loving Italien had disappeared, and this new cold one had taken his place. I need you too, Feli. I'm getting a pack ready and I'm meeting you in the middle." He was already standing up and walking towards his supply shelves.

"_Germany, you can't-" _But the line went dead and Germany never got to hear what he couldn't do. He threw his phone against the wall, because he knew that he wasn't going to be able to use it anymore. His brain went into overdrive, and soon he was outside, his packed filled with food, water, and throwing knives. In his right hand, he had a pistol, and in his other, a map with Rome circled in red sharpie.

Ludwig started running, and soon he was on the outskirts of his city. He could still hear the screams; no matter how hard he had practiced or tried, he had always had a weakness for his people. He sorely wished that he could help them.

Germany heard a growl, and before he could think twice, a bullet went straight through the Anomaly's head. The thing dropped to the ground, and he cried for the first time in a long while. He prayed to whatever power there was in heaven to forgive him for many things; his idiocy in World War 1, the Holocaust, and for killing one of his own people just now. But after a few moments, Germany dried his tears and moved towards Rome.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

[This will be the only note for this story (except maybe the last chapter). I've wanted to do this for a while, so here it is. Reviews are appreciated. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes, I don't have a beta reader. Thanks!]


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